Penny Sharpe sets sights on Newtown

NSW upper house Labor MP Penny Sharpe will seek preselection from the party to contest the newly-formed seat of Newtown at the 2015 state election.

A resident of the suburb for the last 15 years and an upper house MP since 2005, the openly-gay politician said she was intending to stand for the electorate – which she has described as “the most progressive in Australia” – as it needed a local, experienced and forward-thinking candidate.

“My partner and I are raising our family (in Newtown),” she said.

“I am passionate about the dynamic, progressive, creative and compassionate communities that live in the diverse suburbs that make up Newtown. I want those communities to be strongly represented in NSW.”

Sharpe was a Labor councillor on Marrickville Council between 2004-2008 and is currently the shadow transport spokesperson in State Parliament. Sharpe is also the founder of the annual GLORIA Awards that highlight some of the year’s most offensive comments about the LGBTI community.

The new electorate of Newtown includes parts of the former seats of Marrickville, Sydney and Heffron. Voting patterns at previous elections suggest Newtown is nominally a Greens seat with a 4.4 per cent margin.